Yankees Stat of the Day: August 2021
MLB.com is keeping track of a Stat of the Day for the Yankees this season, highlighting a unique, interesting or fun nugget from each game.
Aug. 31: Angels 6, Yankees 4 -- 'Kraken' unleashed
Gary S¨¢nchez's fifth-inning home run was his first since July 20, snapping a career-long 20-game homerless drought. Entering the night, Sanchez was hitting just .188 (6-for-32) with one extra-base hit in nine games since coming off the COVID-19 IL on Aug. 17.
Aug. 30: Angels 8, Yankees 7 -- Slugging in SoCal
Giancarlo Stanton¡¯s 457-foot home run was the longest homer hit by a visiting player at Angel Stadium this season. With an exit velocity of 115.2 mph, it was just the third homer ever hit at the Big A that traveled at least 450 feet at 115.0 mph or greater. The others belong to Shohei Ohtani and Joey Gallo.
Aug. 29: A¡¯s 3, Yankees 1 -- Wade keeps hot streak going
Tyler Wade singled and was hit by a pitch. In his past 17 games, Wade is batting .471 (16-for-34) with 10 runs and four doubles, three RBIs and five walks.
Aug. 28: A's 3, Yankees 2 -- All Rise still streaking
Aaron Judge is hitting .384 (28-for-73) with seven homers and 21 RBIs during his 20-game on-base streak. Judge¡¯s 29 home runs trail only Joey Gallo (30) among Major League outfielders.
Aug. 27: Yankees 8, A's 2 -- A championship-caliber run
The Yankees have won 35 of their past 46 games, a stretch dating back to July 4. They are the sixth Yanks team in the Expansion Era (since 1961) to win 35 of 46. The other times it happened were 1961, '77, '78, '98 and 2009 -- all years that the Yankees won the World Series championship.
Aug. 26: Yankees 7, A's 6 -- Streaking like 1961
The Yankees extended their win streak to a season-high 12 games with a win in the series opener vs. the Athletics. It is the 11th time in franchise history that the Yanks have won a dozen consecutive games, and their first since a 13-game winning streak from Sept. 1-12, 1961.
Aug. 24: Yankees 5, Braves 4 -- Yet another Yankees streak
In keeping their winning streak alive Tuesday night, the Yankees made more history by claiming their 10th straight series victory with the two-game sweep in Atlanta. That's their longest streak since they also won 10 series in a row from June 22-July 22 all the way back in 1954.
Aug. 23: Yankees 5, Braves 1 -- Stanton sets record in Atlanta
Giancarlo Stanton is no stranger to hard-hit balls. Aided by his 6-foot-6, 245-pound frame, he basically owns Statcast metrics like exit velocity. But he took it to another level Monday night, with his 119.2 mph go-ahead two-run double to left field. Not only did it win the game for the Yanks, but it was the hardest-hit ball in Truist Park history.
Aug. 21: Yankees 7, Twins 1 -- Hometown hero
Bronx native Andrew Velazquez hit his first big league home run on Saturday. He became the sixth New York-born Yankee to homer for the club since 1993 and the second this season, joining Tim Locastro, Alex Rodriguez, Raul Iba?ez, John Flaherty and Clay Bellinger.
Aug. 20: Yankees 10, Twins 2 -- Some things never change
The Yankees clinched their season series with the Twins, improving to 4-1 against Minnesota with two games remaining. It's the 14th consecutive season-series win over the Twins, their longest active streak over one opponent. According to Elias, those 14 straight winning seasons is tied for the fifth-longest streak vs. a single opponent in franchise history.
Aug. 19: Yankees 7, Twins 5 -- Conquerors of the Twin Cities
The Yankees are now 26-10 (.722) against the Twins since the start of the 2015 season, their second-highest winning percentage vs. any opponent in that span (min. 20 games), trailing only their 29-10 (.744) record against the Mariners.
Aug. 18: Yankees 5, Red Sox 2 -- Saving grace
Yankees pitchers have recorded a save in six consecutive games, tying the longest streak in franchise history (two by Chad Green, one each by Albert Abreu, Wandy Peralta, Jonathan Loaisiga and Lucas Luetge). They also recorded a save in six consecutive games from June 29-July 4, 1991 (four by Steve Farr, two by Lee Guetterman).
Aug. 17: Yankees 5, Red Sox 3 (Game 1); Yankees 2, Red Sox 0 (Game 2) -- Equal opportunities
With a victory in the first game of Tuesday's doubleheader, the Yankees won four straight games with four different pitchers recording a save: Albert Abreu on Saturday against the White Sox in Chicago, Wandy Peralta on Sunday in Chicago, Chad Green on Monday vs. the Angels in New York and Jonathan Loaisiga in Game 1 vs. the Red Sox in New York.
According to the Elias Sports Bureau, it marks the second time in franchise history that the Yanks won four consecutive games, each with a different pitcher earning a save. Zack Britton, Luis Cessa, Dellin Betances and David Robertson earned saves in four consecutive games from Aug. 24-26, 2018.
Aug. 16: Yankees 2, Angels 1 -- Starters leading charge
The rotation has been key in the Yankees' summer resurgence. Their starters own a 2.94 ERA (186.2 IP,?61 ER) with 207 strikeouts in their last 36 starts (since July 4). They have allowed three runs or fewer in 31 of their last 36 starts, and two earned runs or fewer in 27 of those starts.
Aug. 15: Yankees 5, White Sox 3 -- Lots of close calls
The Yankees have had 65 games this season determined by two runs or fewer, tied with the Mets for the most such games in the Majors. The Yanks' 42-23 record in those games is the best in the Majors.
Aug. 14: Yankees 7, White Sox 5 (10 innings) -- Skipper's 300th win in 500th game
Saturday's win marked Aaron Boone's 300th managerial victory, which came in his 500th game. Boone is the 10th Yankees manager to record 300 victories, and he is the fifth-fastest to reach 300 wins in terms of decisions, trailing Ralph Houk (468), Joe McCarthy (469), Casey Stengel (477) and Joe Torre (484).
Aug 12: White Sox 9, Yankees 8 -- Bronx burners
Tyler Wade's seventh-inning steal gave the Yankees an MLB-best 23rd since the All-Star break. Prior to the Midsummer Classic, the Yanks had just 20, which ranked last in the Majors.
Aug. 11: Yankees 5, Royals 2 -- Wade leading way
Tyler Wade has had himself quite a stretch. Over his last nine games, Wade is batting .563 (9-for-16) with three doubles, five walks, two RBIs and five runs scored. He's also stolen four bases, including two in Wednesday's series finale against the Royals, when he also made a diving catch in left field.
Aug 10: Royals 8, Yankees 4 -- Starters' streak snapped
The five runs allowed by Nestor Cortes (four earned) were the most by a Yankees starter since July 29, snapping an 11-game stretch in which the rotation had a 2.47 ERA.
Aug. 9: Yankees 8, Royals 6 (11) -- A historic win
Monday's wild, back-and-forth victory in Kansas City marked the first game in Major League history in which both teams scored in the seventh, eighth, ninth, 10th and 11th innings, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.
Aug. 8: Mariners 2, Yankees 0 -- Starters on a tear
Yankees starters have posted a 2.62 ERA (151 1/3 innings pitched, 44 earned runs) and 172 strikeouts in their past 29 starts (since Game 2 of a doubleheader on July 4). They have also allowed three runs or fewer in 26 of their past 29 outings and two earned runs or fewer in 23 of those.
Aug. 7: Yankees 5, Mariners 4 -- No days off
The Yankees are 12 days into a 17-day stretch without an off-day (July 27-Aug. 12). They are 10-2 so far during that span.
Aug. 6: Yankees 3, Mariners 2 (11 innings) -- Another close win
The Yankees have had 59 games this season determined by two or fewer runs, tied with the Phillies for the third most such games in the Majors and trailing only the Marlins and Mets (60 each). The Yanks' 38-21 record in those games is the best in MLB.
Aug. 5: Yankees 5, Mariners 3 -- Gallo's high-flying home run
Joey Gallo¡¯s game-winning home run Thursday night made waves in more ways than on the scoreboard. Hit at a launch angle of 48 degrees, the Statcast-projected 331-foot blast was the highest home run of the season for the Yankees, and it tied for the club¡¯s highest homer since Statcast began tracking in 2015. It was also the highest home run of Gallo's seven-year big league career.
Aug. 4: Yankees 10, Orioles 3 -- Rizzo's rare RBI feat
With his fourth-inning solo home run, Anthony Rizzo became the first Yankees player to drive in a run in each of his first six games with the team. Only three other MLB players in the past 70 years have accomplished that feat: Bobby Murcer (seven games, 1977 Cubs), Jim Wynn (six, '74 Dodgers) and Jim Spencer (six, '73 Mariners).
Aug. 3: Yankees 13, Orioles 1 -- Bombers' offensive breakout
The Yanks scored a season-high 13 runs after being held to four or fewer runs in each of their previous 11 games. It was the most runs that New York had scored in a game since a 13-2 win over Toronto on Sept. 16, 2020.
Aug. 2: Orioles 7, Yankees 1 -- Bullpen stopper
Yankees left-hander Lucas Luetge continued his dominant stretch with a clean seventh inning Monday night. Since April 20, Luetge has posted a 2.04 ERA (39 2/3 innings, nine earned runs) and 44 strikeouts in 34 relief appearances.
Aug. 1: Yankees 3, Marlins 1 -- Interleague Play goes Yanks' way
The Yankees are 9-6 against Interleague opponents this season. At 268-189 (.586), they own the second-most wins and second-best winning percentage in the history of Interleague Play. The Red Sox have the best record at 274-184 (.598).